expression

expression

noun

Definition of EXPRESSION

1

an act, process, or means of putting something into words <the poem is his expression of his grief upon the loss of his beloved wife>

Synonyms articulation, formulation, phrasing, statement, utterance, verbalism, voice, wording

Related Words outlet, vent; observation, reflection, remark, thought; speech, tongue

2

facial appearance regarded as an indication of mood or feeling <we could tell by the fans' expressions that the Chicago Cubs had lost again>

Synonyms cast, countenance, expression, face, visage

Related Words frown, grimace, lower (also lour), mouth, pout, scowl; grin, smile; air, appearance, aspect, bearing, demeanor, manner, mien, presence

3

a pronounceable series of letters having a distinct meaning especially in a particular field <the expression “John Doe” is used in legal proceedings to refer to a person whose actual name is either unknown or being withheld from the public>

Synonyms expression, term

Related Words linguistic form, monosyllable, morpheme, speech form; polysyllable; collocation, idiom, locution, phrase; archaism, coinage, colloquialism, euphemism, loanword, modernism, neologism, vernacularism

4

a sequence of words having a specific meaning <the popular expression “raining cats and dogs” is meaningless in other languages>

Synonyms expression, idiom

Related Words cliché (also cliche); locution, term; epithet, expletive, name; byword, cry, motto, shibboleth, slogan, watchword; archaism, colloquialism, euphemism, modernism, neologism, provincialism, vulgarism